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The plan is get right with the salary cap so we can keep key players moving forward. They started the process two years too late IMO.

What players do we want to keep moving forward? Didn't we just lose every player worth keeping moving forward? If Ziggy Hood continues to be rated as one of the worst 3-4 DEs in the NFL I doubt he sees a second contract. Heyward, Worilds and Allen probably need to produce this year. A McClendon clone can be found I would think he played well, but not to the point where the Steelers feel they need to protect him.

Ben, they'll find the money for him, it's all for naught without Ben
Pouncey will need cap space soon
DeCastro is only into his second year
Gilbert only into his third (I think)
Adams is into his second

If they all pan out then they will need to be retained and its highly unlikely that they will all be able to be retained particularly if the LT (Adams or Gilbert) proves to be a high quality LT in the NFL. There really isn't much to keep around right now and any rookies this year will be working on rookie deals for 4 years.

The plan WAS to do whatever they had to do to keep this group together, as they were contending every year and winning 12 games. Colbert said that when you go 12-4 and contend, you tend to want to keep the team together to try to make another run for a ring. The Denver play off loss was the writing on the wall that they chose to consider a fluke.

So, now, with the embarrassment of 2012, they are on a new plan. And that plan is to take a wrecking ball to the team - to an extent - and then sign known lower quality players in an attempt to not completely fall of a cliff. In other words, they are doing a half arsed rebuild. And doing anything half arsed usually turns out bad. I would prefer they took their lumps in order to rebuild in a legit way - not signing old, below average players like putting a band aid on a severed arm. Where are players like Gay, Spaeth, Foote, etc. going to get us? I think their arrogance with their reputation as draft geniuses is biting them in the back side. As they smugly carry themselves as if they are so much smarter than the rest of the league, they have laid giant, wet turds in the draft the last 5 years and the rooster is coming home to roost.

So, here we are: desperately trying to add a few players, who aren't very good, to a roster in attempt to avoid a total meltdown. They are simply trying to avoid a 6-10 season, or worse. But it's not such a good plan. Band aids on severed limbs doesn't work.

If Hampton isn't picked up by another team, do you think the Steelers will bring him back ? I'd rather part ways with him and allow for the youth movement on this team. If this means more 8-8 seasons or less then, so be it. Can't be on top every season or decade. Comes time that you need to take your lumps and build with some high draft picks and some free agency.

If Hampton isn't picked up by another team, do you think the Steelers will bring him back ? I'd rather part ways with him and allow for the youth movement on this team. If this means more 8-8 seasons or less then, so be it. Can't be on top every season or decade. Comes time that you need to take your lumps and build with some high draft picks and some free agency.

James Harrison
Troy Polamalu
Ryan Clark
Brett Keisel
Larry Foote (some will pick him, but he really wasn't)
Ike Taylor
Casey Hampton (Here's the winner, but no one could replace him that was on the roster)
Ben Roethlisberger

Trouble with this list Pap is that a few of these guys missed games... and their replacements did OK, but, not better than them... Think back to Polamalu looking better than (who was it? Mike Logan)... or Maddox filling in for Kordell... then Ben filling in for Maddox...You knew with those guys, that the backup was better and their performance was detriental.

Other than injury, i can't see that Troy's PERFORMANCE was detrimental... or Clark's... or Ike's... or Caseys... just sayin... Now, some of their contracts hurt like a sunnavabitch! lol

Question... would you have rather they chose Farrior over Foote last year? or Foote over Farrior?... think about it... ponder... hmmmm... scratches chin.
Answer: for the purposes of this discussion, i'll say which one you chose doesn't matter (though I preferred Farrior)... what does matter is you had to think about it. With the other guys on your list and last year's choices, you wouldn't have chose differently at that time... Let's try another position... Troy or Mundy?... no wait... Ben or Leftwich No hesitation with any of the choices...

Not saying they can't be improved upon, just saying that before we look at the first stat or first anything, think of the choices the FO had.

I'm convinced that for most of the postions that we see need, they also see need. I'm also convinced that some of these guys were allowed to bolt because of legitimate reasons: A) they're NOT the answer (Mendenhall) or B) a youth injection is needed (Harrison) or C) You had a close battle in camp last year and barely won - you're not 6 million per year better than the next guy (Lewis).

Unless Harrison lands back in Pittsburgh, there will be at least one young OLB brought in - either via FA or the draft. I also fully expect to see one or more of the following: a corner, A safety, a d-lineman, an o-lineman, WR, a RB and an ILB.

It's important to point out "getting younger" DOES NOT MEAN "getting better"...at least not necessarily... Worilds, for example... is he better than Deebo?